Charlotte
by Arsenic Snowflake
Summary: In modern day London, crime is inevitable. When the police fail to find clues or leads, they turn to one person; Charlotte Holmes. A Consulting Detective with a wide library of knowledge and expertise to put any great police men to their knees. When the ex-army doctor, Jane Watson seeks a new flatmate, their worlds collide in a never ending battle but at what costs to their lives?
1. A Study In Pink part 1

Distorted images swam vividly in the unconscious mind of the bearer. Screaming, explosions, gunfire, hideouts, break ins and a single name.

"_Watson!" _The voices chimed in panic. Screaming, gun fire exploding in their ears while they ran. Heart racing, grey eyes shot open and sat quickly up in the bed in hysteric breathes and worried glances while sunlight seeped through the window. Taking deep breathes, she laid back against the sheets, on the verge of tears. Jane knows she'll not be able to fall back asleep tonight.

When the day finally took its place in London, she was dressed in a red and stripped robe, carrying a mug of coffee that carried the Royal Army Medical Corps brand and a small yellow apple, she walked into the room with the aid of her walking stick before setting them down on the desk. Sitting down, she pulled out the shelf that held her precious red laptop, propping it open but didn't start typing.

On the screen read _The Personal Blog of Dr. Jane H. Watson_ and the rest is blank.

"_How's your blog going?"_ The voice of her psychotherapist rang in her ears, breaking her free from her troubled thoughts but took a little longer to reply.

"_Yeah, good.." _Awkwardly, she cleared her throat as the muscles began to tighten around her esophagus. "_Very good."_

Eric let a slight smile cross his lips before opening his mouth to speak once more. "_You haven't written a word, have you?"_

Diverting the question, Jane pointed to the notepad in his lap, the pen settled perfectly in his hand. "_You just wrote 'still has trust issues.'_

"-_And you read my writing upside down. D'you see what I mean?"_

Jane could honestly say she didn't, but smiled anyway to soothe the awkward feeling she felt in her bones.

"_Jane, you're a soldier and it's gonna take a while to adjust to civilian life; and writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help you."_

A look of dispare and empty eyes turned to Eric, her head shaking just slightly so her wavy hair was disturbed. "_**Nothing**__ happens to me."_

**~x~**

**October 12th**

A well dressed middle aged business woman walks on the concourse of a busy London railway station talking on his mobile phone.

"_What d'you mean there's no ruddy car?"_

"_He went to Waterloo. I'm sorry. Get a cab." _Her secretary was in her office, talking to her through his phone as he entered the room.

Janette answered in a almost whining voice; "_I never get cabs."_

Harley looked around to make sure that nobody was within earshot of their conversarion and finally spoke in a quiet voice, his masculine voice almost vibrating in the phone. "_I love you."_

Grinning a perfect smile, Janette's sultry voice remarked in an almost teasing way. "_When?"_

Laughing, Harley hung up the phone before returning the favour; "_Get a cab!"_

Sometime later, sitting on the floor between a window of what seemed to be her office with a small glass bottle with three similar pills inside of her hand. Scared, Janette carefully unscrewed the cap and shook one of the pills out. Putting it into her mouth, leading her to her death in agony.

While at a police press conference, Janette's husband was making a statement to the press while flashes of cameras and the mutterings of the press overtook her in the room.

"_My wife was a happy woman who lived life to the full. She loved her familyand her work - and that she should have taken her life in this way was a mystery and a shock to all who knew her."_

In the corner of the conference room, Harley tried to contain his emotions and carefully squeezed his eyes shut while a single cold tear ran down his heated face.

**~x~**

**November 26th**

In the pouring rain, two teenage girls walked down the street. Gabrielle held an open umbrella but has to constantly fight to keep her umbrella under control despite the harsh winds. Jenessa, who only had her jacket pulled up over her head to keep dry called out in excitment when she saw a taxi car come by and ran into the street.

"_Yes, yes, taxi, yes!"_ However, instead of stopping when it was apparent the girls needed some port of transportation to get out of the rain, the cabbie continued to drive off. Groaning in irritation, Jenessa turned around to face her friend.

"_I'll be back in two minutes, mate!"_

Gabbie looked at her friend in disbelief. "_What?"_

"_I'm just going home; get my mum's umbrella!"_ Waving her hand as she already started to walk.

"_We can share mine!"_

_"Two minutes!"_ Already, Jenessa was gone. Waiting out in the pouring rain, Gabbie grew impatient and chased after her friend, who was already taking too long.

Inside of a sports centre, Jenessa sits and cries while she holds a small bottle of pills. Unscrewing the lid, she takes one of the capsules out with shaking hands.

The next day, a news article in the Daily Express runs the headline. "_Girl, 18, kills herself inside sports centre."_

**~x~**

**January 27th**

Pounding music comes from inside of the room in a public venue while the party is still underway. An aid of Brendan walks out of the room, the look on his face annoyed while he walks to the bar where a colleague waits.

"_He's still dancing?"_

"_Yeah, if you call it that."_ Keys tightly clenched inside of the aids hands as the other grabbed a glass.

_"Did you get the car keys off him?"_

Holding up the keys, a slight grin of statisfaction rested upon the other's. "_Got 'em out of his bag."_

"_Where is he..?"_ He asked, looking back into the dance hall with a frown.

Brendan, looked through his bag for his car keys while standing at the side of his car. Annoyed because he couldn't find them and looked around helplessly for some form of help.

Later, inside of a portacabin, Brendan hysterically cries, reaching out with a trembling hand towards a small glass bottle, which contains three capsules.

**~x~**

Gathered for press reports, Detective Inspector Glenna Lestrade sits uncomfortably next to her colleague, Detective Sergeant Sean Donovan.

"_The body of Brendan Davenport, Junior Minister for Transport was found late last night on a building site in Greater London. Preliminary investigations suggest that this was suicide. We can confirm that this apparent suicide closely resembles those of Lady Janette Patterson and Jenessa Phillimore. In the light of this, these incidents are now being treated as linked. The investigation is ongoing but Detective Inspector Lestrade will take questions now."_

One of the reporters started to speak up; "_Detective Inspector, how can suicides be linked?"_

_"Well, they all took the same poison; um, they were all found in places they had no reason to be; none of them had shown any prior indication of ..." _Before Glenna could finish what she had started, someone interupted her.

"_-But you can't have serial suicides."_

_"Well, apparently you __**can**__." _Glenna retorted, annoyed.

"_These three people: there's nothing that links them?"_

"_There's no link been found __**yet**__, but we're looking for it. There has to __**be**__ one." _The moment Glenna finished her sentence, everyone's mobile phone within the room started to vibrate text alerts simultaneously. As everyone looked to their message, which only read one thing:

**Wrong!**

Sean, looking at the message on his own phone put it back down and started to speak again. "_If you've all got texts, please ignore them."_

_"It just says, 'Wrong'." _One reporter spoke up again.

"_Yeah, well, just ignore that. Okay, if there are no more questions for Detective Inspector Lestrade, I'm going to bring this session to an end."_

_"But if they're suicides, what are you investigating?"_

Lost on words, Lestrade tried to think of something to say that would satisfy the reporter. "_As I say, these ... these suicides are clearly linked. Um, it's an ... it's an unusual situation. We've got our best people investigating ..."_

Once more, everyone's phone alerted of a text message. And again, it just read one word:

**Wrong!**

_"Says 'Wrong' again."_ Glenna looked desparingly at Sean, not completely sure on what to do.

"_One more question."_ Sean finally spoke up again after a moment of awkward silence.

"_Is there any chance that these are murders, and if they are, is this the work of a serial killer?_

"_I ... I know that you like writing but these do appear to be suicides. We know the difference. The, um, the poison was clearly self-administered." _The least anyone could do is not to believe that these are murders, but suicides. If they are murders, what where they missing?

"_Yes, but if they are murders, how do people keep themselves safe?"_ Stupid questions, obvious answers as Glenna tried not to role her eyes or to sound too harsh.

"_Well, don't commit suicide."_

Shock was written all over the reporters face while Sean quickly muttered a warming, covering his mouth. "_Daily mail."_

Grimacing, Glenna looked to the reporters again before speaking up. "_Obviously this is a frightening time for people, but all anyone has to do is exercise reasonable precautions. We are all as safe as we want to be."_

As if on cue, everyone's phone alerted yet another message; **Wrong!** However, Glenna's was slightly different:

**You know where to find me**

**CH**

Groaning out slightly, Glenna stood up from her seat, putting her phone in her pocket as she left the room. "_Thank you." _

Outside, she and Sean are walking through the offices of the New Scotland Yardbuilding.

"_You've __**got**__ to stop her doing that. She's making us look like idiots!"_ Sean complained, rather annoyed with the constant interuptions during the meetings.

"_Well, if you can tell me __**how**_ _ she does it, I'll stop her."_ Glenna answered, her nerves almost shot from the sheer embarrassment given by both the press and the incessant text messaging.

**~x~**

Elsewhere, in Russell Square Park, Jane was limping through the park, heavily relying on his cane as he walked past a bigger woman sitting on the bench. The woman stares at Jane, clearly recognizing him.

"_Jane! Jane Watson!" _ She called out, trying to get the ex-soldier's attention. Which apparently worked since Jane turned around to meet the other's gaze who quickly got up from their seat to meet up with her.

"_Stamford. Melinda Stamford. We were at Bart's together."_

"_Yes, sorry, yes Melinda." _Offering Melinda her hand, Jane offered a small smile. "_Hello, hi."_

Melinda grinned and gestured to herself. "_Yeah, I know. I got fat!"_

Trying to sound convincing, Jane shook her head hurridly. "_No."_

_"I heard you were abroad somewhere, getting shot at. What happened?"_

Jane awkwardly spoke, rubbing the back of her neck. "_I got shot."_

Embarrassment took the two women over before they sat down on a bench, drinking take away coffees. Melinda stared at Jane worriedly while Jane took a sip of her coffee.

"_Are you still at Bart's then?"_ Finally breaking the awkward silence between the twoold friends.

"_Teaching now. Bright young things, like we used to be. God, I hate them!" _Melinda stated, a light notice of vile in her tone but they both laugh anyway. "_What about you? Just staying in town 'till you get yourself sorted?"_

Looking distressed, Jane sighed. I can't afford London on an Army pension."

"Ah, but you couldn't bare to be anywehre else. That's not the Jane Watson I know."

Uncomfortable, Jane tried to settle down in her seat, staring down at her coffee mug. "_Yeah, I'm not the Jane Watson.."_

Awkwardly drinking from her coffee cup, Jane quickly switches her right hand to hold her cup while her left clutched the cane to control the tremor that had started to take form before Melinda stared back at her child hood friend again.

"_Can't Clara help?"_ She asked in a slight comforting way.

Scoffing, Jane spoke again. "_Yeah, like __**that's **__gonna happen."_

Shrugging, Melinda tried to smile. "_I dunno - get a flatshare or something?"_

"_C'mon, who'd want __**me**__ for a flatmate?"_ Jane spoke insecurely before Melinda started to chuckle, catching the ex-soldier's attention.

"_What?"_

_"Well, you're the second person to say that to me today.."_

Curiousity sparked within the ex-army doctor and stared at her childhood friend with a slight gleam in her grey eyes. "_Who was the first?"_


	2. A Study in Pink part 2

At St. Bartholomew's Hostpial Morgue, Charlotte Holmes unzips the bag holding a deceased body that laid on the table in front of her and peers at the corpse, being careful her unruly curly brown hair doesn't fall in the way as she sniffs the corpse. "_How fresh?"_

"_Just in. Sixty-seven, natural causes. He used to work here. I knew him. He was really nice." _The Morgue assistant, Martin Hooper walked over, explaining the situation to him.

Zipping up the bag, Charlotte straightened her posture and shines a fake smile on perfect pale rosy lips. "_Fine, we'll start with the riding crop."_

When the body had been removed from the bag, it was set down on the table on its back. Martin watched and flinches in the observation room just next door to where Charlotte was violently flocking the deceased but, there were signs of admiration in Martin's eyes. Walking back in the room, Charlotte was breathless and straightens back up in posture.

"_So, bad day, was it?"_ Martin asked aloud, joking around. Though, Charlotte had no interest and took out a small black notebook and began writing. "_I need to know what bruises form in the next twenty minutes. A man's alibi depends on it. Text me."_

Shyly, Martin shakingly started to talk to the Consulting Detective. "_Listen, I was wonderin: maybe later when you're finished. . "_

Charlotte glances across to him while she was writing, taking a double take and frowns.

"_Are you wearing cologne? You weren't wearing colonge before."_

Nervousness spiced up within the assistant as he tried to form the right words. "_I, er, I freshened up a bit."_ Nervously smiling at her, but she just stared obliviously before writing in her notebook again.

"_Sorry, you were saying?"_ Charlotte could feel the gaze on her small but tall form as Martin started to talk again.

"_I was wondering if you'd like to have coffee." _Of course, the Great Charlotte Holmes missed the romantice enuendo that was meant to be part of the offer and put the notebook away in her pocket.

"_Black, two sugars, please. I'll be upstairs."_

Charlotte then walked out of the room, leaving Martin alone and feeling rather awkward.

"_. . .Okay."_

**~x~**

Up in the Bart's Lab, Charlotte was standing in the far end of thelab, using a pipette to squeeze a few drops of liquid into a Petri dish. Hearing a knock at the door, Melinda walked into the lab, bringing Jane along with him. Glancing over at the pair briefly before going back to her work again. Limping into the room, Jane looked around at the equipment.

"_Well, bit different from my day."_ She spoke up, Charlotte taking no interest.

Melinda chuckled before replying. "_You've no idea!"_

Charlotte sat down, keeping her eyes on her work. "_Melinda, can I borrow your phone? There's no signal on mine."_

_"And what's wrong with the landline?"_ Melinda asked, feeling suspicious of the other woman.

"_I prefer to text." _

_"Sorry, it's in my coat." _Melinda sighed at the answer given and rolled her eyes.

Jane fishes into her own pocket and takes out her own. "_Er, here. Use mine."_

Glancing briefly at Melinda, she stood up and walked over to Jane.

"_It's an old friend of mine, Jane Watson."_ The bigger girl introduced them while Charlotte took the phone from the war hero, turning partically away from him and used the keyboard to start texting a message.

"_Afghanistan or Iraq?"_

Almost shocked, Jane frowned as she stared at Melinda, who smiled knowingly before turning her attention back at the stranger.

"_Sorry?"_

"_Which was it - Afghanistan or Iraq?"_

Raising her eyes to Jane's before looking back at the phone, Jane hesitated. Looking over at Melinda, confused. However, Melinda just smiled smugly.

"_Afghanistan. Sorry, how did you know. . .?"_

Just as Charlotte looked up, Martin brought the coffee. "_Ah, Martin, coffee. Thank you."_

Shutting the soldier's phone, she handed it back as Martin brought the mug over to her. Carefully staring at him before taking the mug. The scent was gone.

"_What happened to the colonge?"_

Martin, awkwardly smiled at her. "_It wasn't working for me."_

"_Really? I thought it was a big improvement. Your body scent isn't all that alluring now."_

Returning to her station, she took a quick sip of the coffee but gave a grimace in retaliation.

_". . .Okay."_ Martin spoke awkwardly again, turning on his heels and left the room

"_How do you feel about the violin?"_ Jane turned around to Martin, but he had already been on his way out and looked at Melinda, realising that Charlotte was actually speaking to her.

_"I'm sorry, what?"_

Charlotte was typing on a laptop while she was talking. "_ I play the violin when I'm thinking. Sometimes I don't talk for days on end." _Turning around to face Jane before starting up a conversation again. "_Would that bother you? Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other." _ A horribly fake smile crossed perfect pale lips again before Jane could actually understand what was being said to her.

"_Oh, you ... you told her about me?"_ She said, turning to Melinda who shook her head.

"_Not a word."_

Turning back to Charlotte, she opened her mouth to speak. "_Then who said anything about flatmates?"_

_"__**I **__did. I told Melinda this morning that I must be difficult woman to find a flatmate for. Now, here she is just after lunch with an old friend, clearly just home from military service in Afghanistan. Wasn't that difficult a leap."_ Charlotte said, putting on her greatcote.

Turning back to the stranger, she was rather confused. "_How __**did**__ you know about Afghanistan?"_

Ignoring the question, Charlotte wrapped her scarf around her neck and picks up her own phone to check it. "_Got my eye on a nice little place in central London. Together we ought to be able to afford it."_ Turning back to Jane, she walked over to her before starting to talk again. _"We'll meet there tomorrow evening; seven o'clock. Sorry - gotta dash. I think I left my riding crop in the mortuary." _She put her phone inside of her coat pocket and walked past Jane, heading for the the door.

"_Is that it?"_ Jane asked, turning to stare at him. Turning back from the door, Charlotte strolled closer to Jane again, curious.

"_Is that what?"_

_"We've only just met and we're gonna go look at a flat?"_ Smiling in disbelief, she looked across to Melinda for help but she just continued to smile and Jane turned her attention back at Charlotte. "_We don't know a thing about each other; I don't know where we're meeting; I don't even know your name."_

There was a brief silence between the two, Charlotte stared closely at the older female before talking. "_I know you're an Army doctor and you've been invalided home from Afghanistan. I know you've got a sister who's worried about you but you won't go to her for help because you don't approve of her - possibly because she's an alcoholic; more likely because she recently walked out on her husband. And I know that your therapist thinks your linp's psychosomatic - quite correctly, I'm afraid."_ Jane took a few seconds to look down at her cane and shuffled on her feet awkwardly before Charlotte continued smugly, as if she were mocking the ex-soldier. "_That's enough to go on with, don't you think?"_

Turning to walk to the door again, she opened it before going through, but then leaned back into the room again. "_The name's Charlotte Holmes and the address is two two one B Baker street."_ Giving a quick click-wink at Jane before turning around to Melinda. "_Afternoon."_

Melinda raised a finger in farewell as Charlotte left the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Jane stared in disbelief before turning her attention back to Melinda, who simply nodded.

"_Yeah. She's always like that."_

**~x~**

Later on that evening, Jane returned to her bedsit and sat down on the bed. Pulling out her phone, she went through the menu before landing in the sent messages. The last one was the one that Charlotte sent earlier in the lab;

**If brother has a green ladder, arrest brother.**

**CH**

Jane could honestly say she was puzzled by the message before letting it go. Going over to the desk where her laptop resided and opened it. Going onto a website called Quest, she typed in the name _Charlotte Holmes_ into the search box.

**~x~**

With an unknown location, it's harder to get the scene of the whole idea. However, where there lies a body, lies the key to untold mysteries. A young man wearing a pink overcoat, brown shoes slowly reaches down with a tembling hand towards a clear glass bottle which was standing on the bare rotting and dusting floorboards. Always containing three large capsules. His fingers close around the bottle and he slowly lifts it off the dloor, his hand still tembling as he did just that.

**~x~**

On Baker Street, Jane limps along the road using her cane and reaches the door marked 221B. While a black cab pulls up on the kerb, Jane knocks on the door while Charlotte climbs out of the cab.

"_Hello."_ Charlotte called out, reaching into the front window of the cab to hand the cabbie driver some money. "_Thank you."_

Jane quickly turned over to the other person, her hand held out. "_Ah, Ms. Holmes."_

_"Charlotte, please." _Returning the gesture and they shook hands.

_"Well, this is a prime spot, Must be expensive."_

_"Oh, Mr. Hudson, the landlord , he's giving me a special deal. Owes me a favour. A few years back, his wife got himself sentenced to death in Florida. I was able to help out."_

_"Sorry, you stopped his wife being executed?" _Jane asked in high hopes, but Charlotte stuck them down.

"_Oh no, I __**ensured**__ it."_

Just as they had finished their conversation, the door opened and Mr. Hudson appeared and opened her arms for the young Charlotte.

"_Charlotte, hello.."_

Charlotte turned and walked into his arms, hugging him briefly but then stepped back to present the soldier standing besides her. "_Mr. Hudson, Doctor Jane Watson."_

_"Hello."_

_"How do?"_ Jane asked in politeness while the older man urged her inside. "_Come in."_

_"Thank you."_

"_Shall we?" _

_"Yeah." _The two women walked inside and Mr. Hudson closed the door, waiting for Jane to hobble up the stairs. While Jane reaches the top of the stairs, Charlotte opened the door ahead of her and walked inside, revealing the living room of the flat. Jane follows her inside and look saround the room and at all the possessions and boxers scattered about.

"_Well, this could be very nice. Very nice indeed."_ Jane spoke up.

"_Yes. Yes, I think so. My thoughts precisely."_ Charlotte nodded in agreement, looking around the flat happily. "_So, I went straight ahead and moved in."_

_"Soon as we get all this rubbish cleaned out ...Oh."_ She paused, embarrassed when she realised what Charlotte was saying. "_So this is all ..."_

_"Well, obviously I can, um, straighten things up a bit."_ Walking across the room, making a half hearted atte,pt to tidyup a little, throwing a couple of folders into a box and then taking some apparently unopened envelopes across to the fire place where she puts them into the mantelpiece. Stabbing a multi tool knife into them. Jane noticed something on the matelpiece and lifts her cane to point at it.

"_That's a skull.."_

_"Friend of mine. When I say 'friend' ..."_

Mr. Hudson followed them into the room, picking up a cup and saucer whole Charlotte takes off her greatcoat and scarf. "_What do you think, then, Doctor Watson? There's another bedroom upstairs if you'll be __**needing **__two bedrooms."_

_"Of __**course**__ we'll be needing two."_

_"Oh, don't worry; there's all sorts around here." _Dropping his voice, but Charlotte wasn't too interested to be listening in the first place. "_Mr. Turner next door's got married ones."_

Jane looked over to Charlotte, expecting her to confirm that she and Jane are not involved in that way, but Charlotte appears to be oblivious to what's being said. Mr. Hudson walked into the kitchen, but then turns and frowns at Charlotte.

"_Oh, Charlotte. The mess you've made!"_

Going into the kitchen, she starts tidying up, Jane walked over to one of the two armchairs and plumps up a cushion on the chair and drops heavily down onto it. Looking over to Charlotte, who was still working things out.

_"I looked you up on the internet last night." _

Charlotte turned around to face him, slightly interested. "_Anything interesting?"_

_"Found your website, The Science of Deduction."_

Proudly smiling, Charlotte answered him. "_What did you think?"_

Jane gave him a dumbstruck look before she started speaking again. "_You said you could identify a software designer by his tie and an airline pilot by his left thumb."_

_"Yes; and I can read your military career in your face and your leg, and your sister's drinking habits in your mobile phone."_

_"How?"_ Jane asked, intrigued.

Smiling, Charlotte turned away. Mr. Hudson coming out of the kitchen while reading the newspaper. "_What about these suicides then, Charlotte? I thought that'd be right up your street. Three exactly the same."_

_"Four."_ Charlotte spoke up as she saw the shadow of a car and someone getting out of it. The vehicle was obviously a police car with it's lights flashing on the roof. "There's been a fourth. And there's something different this time."

_"A fourth?" _Mr. Hudson asked in concern.

Turning, Charlotte saw as Glenna who apparently must have picked at the lock on her front door and trotted up the stairs to come into the livingroom. "_Where?"_

_"Brixton, Lauriston Gardens."_

_"What's new about this one? You wouldn't have come to get me if there wasn't something different."_

_"You know they never leave notes?"_ Those few words perked the Consulting Detective's curiosity.

"_Yeah?"_

_"This one did. Will you come?"_

_"Who's on forensics?"_

"_It's Anderson." _

Charlotte visibly grimaced. "_Anderson won't work with me." _

_"Well, he won't be your assistant."_

_"I __**need**__ an assistant!"_

_"Will you come?"_ Glenna asked, almost desperate.

"_Not in a police car. I'll be right behind." _

Earning a thank you from Glenna, who had turned to stare at Watson and Mr. Hudson for a moment before jogging back down the stairs. Charlotte waited until he reached the front door before leaping into the air, clenching her fists, triumphantly before twirling around the room happily. "_Brilliant! Yes! Ah, four serial suicides, and and now a note! Oh, it's Christmas!"_

Heading into the kitchen while she put on her coat and gloves, calling out. "_Mr. Hudson, I'll be late. Might need some food!"_

_"I'm your landlord, dear, not your house keeper."_

_"Something cold will do. Jane, have a cup of tea, make yourself at home. Don't wait up!"_

_"Look at her, dashing about! __**My**__ wife was just the same."_ Mr. Hudson turned to Jane, who had grimaced to the fact still believed that she and Charlotte was an item. "_But you're more the sitting down type, I can tell." _Although Jane looked uncomfortable, Mr. Hudson took no need. "_I'll make you that cuppa. You rest your leg."_

_"__**DAMN MY LEG!"**_ Jane shouted loudly, alerting Mr. Hudson and called him straight back into the room in shock. "_Sorry, I'm so sorry. It's just sometimes this bloody thing ..." _Letting her cane brush up against her leg.

"_I understand, dear; I've got a hip."_ Turning back around to the door, Jane softly spoke up again.

"_Cup of tea'd be lovely, thank you."_

_"Just this once, dear. I'm not your housekeeper."_

_"Couple of biscuits too, if you've got 'em."_ Jane added, picking up the newspaper.

_"Not your house keeper!"_

Reading the paper about Brendan's death . Before Jane could continue reading, Charlotte interups her and Jane looked up to see her standing at the door of the living room.

"_You're a doctor. In fact, you're an Army doctor."_

Getting to her feet, she turns towards Charlotte as she comes back into the room. "_Any good?"_

_"__**Very**__ good."_

_"Seen a lot of injuries, then; violent deaths."_

_"Mhm, yes."_ Jane answered, nodding her head as she noticed Charlotte's voice dropped as she continued to talk.

"_Bit of trouble too, I bet."_

_"Of course, yes. Enough for a lifetime. Far too much. _

_"Wanna see some more?"_

_"Oh __**God**__ yes."_

Turning on her heels, she went through the door and down the stairs with Jane slowly following after her.

"_Sorry Mr. Hudson, I'll skip the tea. Off out."_

_"Both of you?" _Mr. Hudson stood near the bottom of the stairs, watching the pair.

Almost reaching the front door, Charlotte turned around to face her landlord. "_Impossible suicides? Four of them? There's no point in sitting at home when there's finally something __**fun**__ going on!"_ Taking his landlord by the shoulders, Charlotte quickly kissed him noisily on the cheek.

"_Look at you, all happy. It's not decent." _He said, unable to help the smile while Charlotte turned around and heads for the front door.

"_Who cares about decent? The game, Mr. Hudson, is on!"_


	3. A Study in Pink part 3

With the two walking out into the street, Charlotte quickly held out her hand, shouting "_Taxi!"_ Which quickly stopped alongside her as the pair climbed inside and drove off for Brixton.

The two women stay silent for a majority of the ride while Charlotte has her brilliantly cold blue eyes fixed on her smartphone, Jane, on the other hand keeps stealing nervous glances at her. Fed up, Charlotte put her phone down and finally spoke up. "_Okay, you've got questions."_

_"Yeah, where we going?"_

_"Crime scene. Next?"_

_"Who are you? What do you do?"_ Charlotte almost chuckled at his question. Oh, how stupid this one was but kept her comments to herself.

"_What do you think?"_ She asked, looking over to the other.

"_I'd say private detective . . ."_ Jane spoke up hesitantly.

"_But?"_

"_But the police don't go to private detectives.."_

"_I'm a __**consulting**__ detective. Only one in the world. I invented the job." _

_"What does that mean?"_

_"It means when the police are out of their depth, which is always, they consult me."_

_"The police don't consult amateurs."_ At her comment, Charlotte threw Jane a harsh look.

"_When I met you for the first time yesterday, I said 'Afghanistan or Iraq?' You looked surprised."_

_"Yes, __**how**__ did you know?"_

_"I didn't know. I __**saw**__. Your haircut, the way you hold yourself says military. But your conversation as you entered the room." _Charlotte conducted, an memory like flashback of their conversation back at Bart's popped into both of their heads.

"_Bit different from my day."_

_" ..said trained at Bart's, so Army doctor - obvious. Your face is tanned but no tan above the wrists. You've been abroad, but not sunbathing. Your limp's really bad when you walk but you don't ask for a chair when you stand, like you've forgotten about it, so it's at least partly psychosomatic. That says the original circumstances of the injury was traumatic. Wounded in action, then. Wounded in action, suntan - Afghanistan or Iraq." _Clicking her tongue at the 'K' sound in the name.

"_You said I had a therapist."_

"_You've got a psychosomatic limp - of __**course**__ you've got a therapist. So then there's your sister." _

_"Hm?"_

Charlotte held out her hand. "_Your phone. It's expensive, e-mail enabled, MP3 player, but you're looking for a flatshare - you wouldn't waste money on this. It's a gift then."_

Jane had given her the phone as he turns it over to look at it again while she looks at it. "_Scratches. Not one, many over time. It's been in the same pocket as keys and coins The man sitting next to me wouldn't treat his one luxury item like this, so it's had a previous owner. Next bit's easy. You know it already."_

_"The engraving.."_

Charlotte turned it around so they could see the engraving on the back of the phone;

**Clara Watson**

**From Harry**

**xxx**

_"Clara Watson: clearly a family member who's given you her old phone. Not your father, this is a young woman's gadget. __**Could**__ be a cousin, but you're a war hero who can't find a place to live. Unlikely you've got an extended family, certainly not one you're close to, so sister it is. No Harry. Who's Harry? Three kisses says it's a romantic attachment. The expense of the phone says husband, not boyfriend. He must have given it to her recently - this model's only six months old. Marriage in trouble then - six months on she's just given it away. If he'd left __**her.**__ She gave you the phone to __**you**__: that says she wants you to stay in touch. You're looking for cheap accommodation, but you're not going to your sister for help: that says you've got problems with her. Maybe you liked her husband; maybe you __**don't**__ like her drinking."_

_"And how could you __**possibly **__know about the drinking?"_ Jane interupted, but Charlotte just gave a smile.

"_Shot in the dark. Good one, though. Power connection: tiny little scuff marks around the edge of it. Every night she goes to plug it in to charge but her hands are shaking. You never see those marks on a sober woman's phone; never see a drunk's without them." _She said, handing the phone back to Jane.

"_There you go, you see - you were right."_

_"__**I **__was right? Right about what?"_

_"The police don't consult amateurs." _She looks out the side window, biting down on her perfect lip while she waits for Jane's reply.

"_That . . . was amazing."_

Charlotte looked around, apparently surprised since she hasn't yet bothered to reply.

_"Do you think so?"_

_"Of __**course**__ it was. It was extraordinary; it was quite extraordinary."_

_"That's not what people normally say.."_

_"What do people normally say."_

Charlotte couldn't help but slightly grin at Jane before turning back to the window. "_Piss off."_

**~x~**

When they arrive at Lauriston Gardens, Charlotte and Jane get out of the cab and walk over to the police tape strung across the road.

"_Did I get something wrong..?"_ She asked, looking over to the doctor.

"_Clara and me don't get on, never have. Clara and Harry split up three months ago and they're getting a divorce; and Clara is a drinker."_

Charlotte looked quite impressed with herself. "_Spot on, then. I didn't expect to be right about everything."_

_"And Clara is short for Clarance."_

Charlotte stopped dead in her tracks. "_Clara is your brother.."_

Jane continued walking "_Look, what exactly am I supposed to be doing here?"_

_"Brother!"_ Charlotte spoke through gritted teeth, seemingly upset with herself.

"_No, seriously. What am I doing here?"_

_"There's always something."_ Calming down as she started to walk, meeting up with Sean at the tape.

"_Hello, feak."_

_"I'm here to see Detective Inspector Lestrade." _

_"Why?"_

_"I was invited." _

_"__**Why?**__" Sean continued to press, Charlotte was starting to get annoyed by the annoyance of it all._

_"_I think he wants me to take a look."She snapped back, sarcastically.

"_Well, you know what I think, don't you?"_

Charlotte rolled her eyes, "_Always, Sean."_ Breathing through her nose as she lifted the tape and crawled underneath. "_I even know you didn't make it home last night."_

_"I don't.."_ Stopping what he was saying when he noticed Jane. "_Who's this?"_

_"Colleague of mine, Doctor Watson. Doctor Watson, Sergeant Sean Donovan. Old friend."_

Snorting at her reply, Sean couldn't help but smirk_. "A colleague? How do __**you**__ get a colleague?! What, did she follow you home?"_

_"Woudl it be better if I just waited and .."_

_"No." _Charlotte replied, pulling up the tape for her to pass.

"_Freak's here. Bringing her in."_

Leading the two females to the house, Charlotte looks all around and at the ground while they're walking. As they reached the front of the house, they meet up with one of the specialists.

"_Ah, Anderson. Here we are again."_ Charlotte spoke with vile in her tone and Anderson looked at her with distaste.

"_This is a crime scene. I don't want it contaminated. Are we clear on that?"_

"_Quite clear. And is your husband away for long?"_ Mocking the woman, taking a deep breath from her nose.

"_Oh, don't pretend you worked that out. Somebody told you that."_

_"Your deodorant told me that."_

_"My deodorant?"_

A quirky expression crossed the detective's face. "_It's for women."_

_"Well __**of course**__ it's for women. __**I'm**__ wearing it!"_

_"So's Sergeant Donovan."_

Anderson looked around in shock at Donovan, Charlotte sniffed the air pointedly. "_Ooh, and I think it just vaporised. May I go in?"_

_"Now look, whatever you're trying to imply .." _Anderson looked at the consulting detective angrilly.

"_I'm not implying anything." _She passed Donovan and went to the door. "_I'm sure Sean came round for a nice little chat, and just happened to stay over. And I assume you scrubbed your floors from the state of your knees."_

Both officers stare at her in horror, while Charlotte smiled smugly than turned into the house. Jane passed Sean, unable to help a quick glance at Anderson's knees before going inside. Inside, they meet up with Glenna who was in a coverall.

"_You need to wear one of these." _Charlotte said, pointing to the coveralls.

"_Who's this?"_ Glenna asked while Charlotte was putting on some gloves. "_She's with me."_

_"But who __**is**__ she?"_

_"I __**said**__, she's with me." _

_"Aren't you gonna put one on?"_ Jane asked Charlotte as she put on the coverall, but Charlotte gave her a stern look before returning to Glenna.

"_So, where are we?"_

_"Upstairs."_ Glenna answered as she put on another latex glove.

Glenna led the two women upstairs the circular staircase. While Glenna and Jane were wearing coveralls, Charlotte just settled for latex gloves.

"_I can give you two minutes." _Glenna said, but Charlotte shook her head

"_May need longer."_

_"Name's James Wilson according to his credit cards. We're running them now for contact details. Hasn't been here long. Some kinds found him."_

Being led into a room two storeys above the ground floor, the room is empty of furniture except for a rocking horse in the far corner. Emergency portable lightning has been set up, presumably by the police. The man was face down on the bare floorboards, wearing a pink overcoat and brown shoes. His hands are flat against the floor on either side of his head, Charlotte walks a few steps into the room, but stops, holding one hand out in front of his as she focuses on the corpse. Behind her, Jane stares at the man's body with pain and distress filling her expression.

Silence filled the room,but then Charlotte turned to look at Glenna.

"_Shut up."_

_"I didn't say anything.." _Glenna spoke, in shock.

"_You were thinking. It's annoying."_

Charlotte stepped closer to the corpse, her attention drawn to the fact he had scratched something into the floorboards by her left hand. Flickering her eyes to the fingernails, the ends chipped and dirty while the others were still perfect. It was apparent that the man was still trying to carve even though he was dying. Given off what was apparent, Charlotte began his deduction.

**Left handed.**

**RACHE **_**German (n.) revenge**_

Charlotte shook her head, knowing the words couldn't have been anything common to the German language..but possibly a name? Trying to complete the word, Charlotte finally came to terms with the word:

**Rachel.**

Squatting down besides the man, running her fingers along the back of his coat. Lifting her hand, she looked at her fingers:

**Wet**

Reaching into his coat pocket to find a white folding umbrella. Running her fingers along the folds of the materal, she inspected her fingers:

**Dry**

Putting the umbrella back into his pocket, Charlotte ran her fingers along the collar of his coat, and underneath before pulling her fingers back:

**Wet**

Pulling out a small magnifier from her pocket, she opens it and inspects the jewlery that the man was wearing.

Gold chain around his neck

**Clean**

Gold chained braceletaround his wrist

**Clean**

Moving to the rings on his left middle finger, the engagement ring and wedding ring

**Dirty**

Blinking brilliant eyes, rapid succession of conclusions appeared over him.

**Married**

**Unhappily married**

**Unhappily maied 10+ years.**

Carefully, Charlotte removed the wedding ring from the man's finger, inspecting the top of the jewlery

**Dirty**

And on the inside..

**Clean**

Sliding the ring back onto his finger, already having a conclusion of the ring.

**Regulary removed**

Standing straight up again, Charlotte made her final intake on the man;

**Serial adulterer**

Charlotte couldn't help but allow a grin of satisfaction cross her lips before Glenna spoke up again. "_Got anything?"_

_"Not much.."_ Removing her gloves as she fished her phone out of her pocket and began to type on it.

_"He's German. 'Rache': it's German for 'revenge'. She could be trying to tell us something.."_

"_Yes, thank you for your input."_ Charlotte said and shut the door in Anderson's face just as she was talking.

Reading the map for 'UK Weather', she read the five options given;

**Maps**

**Local**

**Warnings**

**Next 24 hrs**

**7 day forecast**

Selecting the Maps option as Glenna opened her mouth to speak again.

"_So, he's German?"_

_"Of course he's not. He's from out of town, though. Intended to stay in London for one night ...before returning home to Cardiff."_ Smiling smugly to herself when she found all the information that she needed. "_So far, so obvious."_

_"What about the message, though?"_

Charlotte ignored him and looked at Jane. "_Doctor Watson, what do you think?"_

_"About the message?"_

_"Of the body. You're a medical woman."_

_"Wait, no! We have a whole team right outside."_

_"They won't work with me."_

_"I'm breaking every rule letting __**you**__ in here."_

_"Yes. Because you __**need**__ me." _

That sure shut Glenna up, loweing her eyes helplessly. "_..I do."_

_"Doctor Watson."_

_"Hm?" _ She looked up from the body to look at Charlotte before turning to look at Glenna as if seeking permission.

"_Oh, do as she says. Help yourself."_ She said, opening the door and going out. _"Anderson, keep everyone out of here for a couple of minutes!"_

Jane and Charlotte walk over to the body, Charlotte swats down on one side while Jane painfully lowers herself down onto one knee.

"_Well?"_

_"What am I doing here?" _Jane asked Charlotte softly.

"_Helping me make a point."_

_"I'm supposed to be helping you pay the rent!"_

_"Yeah, well, this is more fun."_

_"Fun?! There's a man lying dead!" _

_"Perfectly sound analysis, but I __**was**__ hoping you'd go deeper." _While Glenna entered the room, standing near the doorway, Jane dragged her other leg down into a kneeling position and leaned forward to look more closely at the man's body. Putting her head closer to his and sniffs, straightening up a little before lifting his left hand, looking at the skin before meeting Charlotte's gaze.

"_Yeah. Asphyxiation, probably. Passed out, choked own his own vomit. Can't smell any alcohol on him. Could have been a seizure; possibly drugs."_

_"You know what it was. You've read the papers."_

_"What, he's one of the suicides? The fourth ..?"_

_"Charlotte, two minutes, I said. I need anything you've got."_

Staning back up while Jane struggled to get to her own feet. "_Victim here is in his late thirties. Professional person, going by his clothes; I'm guessing someone in the medial, going by the frankly alarming shade of pink. Travelled from Cardiff today, intending to stay in London for one night. It's obvious from the size of his suitcase.-"_

_"Suitcase?" _Glenna interuptted while Jane tried to find the suitcase around the room, but didn't find anything.

"_Suitcase, yes. He's been married at least ten years, but not happily. He's had a string of lovers by none of them knew he was married."_

_"Oh for God's sake, if you're making this up..."_

_"His wedding ring. Ten years old at least. The rest of his jewlery has been regularly cleaned, but not his wedding ring. State of his marriage right there. The inside of the ring is shinier than the outside - which means it's regularly removed. The only polishing it gets is when he works it off his finger. It's not for work; look at his nails. He doesn't work with his hands, so what or rather who __**does**__ he remove his rings for? Clearly not __**one**__ lover; he'd never sustain the fiction of being single for that amout of time, so more likely a string of them. Simple." _Charlotte concluded, pointing at the man's left hand.

"_That's brilliant."_ Jane admitted admiringly, but it was cut short when Charlotte looked over at her.

"_Cardiff?"_ Glenna asked in confusion.

_"It's obvious, isn't it?"_

"_It's not for me."_

Pausing, Charlotte stared at the two women, dumbstruck. "_Dear God, what is it like in your funny little brains? It must be so __**boring**__." _Turning back to the body before she continued going. "_His coat: it's slightly damp. He's been in heavy rain in the last few hours. No rain anywhere in London in that time. Under his coat collar is damp, too. He's turned it up against the wind. He's got an umbrella in his left hand pocket but it's dry and unused: not just wind, __**strong**__ wind - too strong to use his umbrella. We know from his suitcase that he was intending to stay overnight, so he must have come a decent distace but he can't have travelled more than two or three hours because his coat still hasn't dried. So, where has there been heavy rain and strong wind within the radius of that time travled? Cardiff."_ Charlotte finished by pulling out her phone, showing it to the two other women that she was looking at earlier, displaying thw weather for the southern part of Britian.

"_That's fantastic!"_ Charlotte turned to Jane, speaking in a low voice;

"_D'you know you do that out loud?"_

_"Sorry. I'll shut up."_ Jane said, embarrassed.

_"No, it's . . .fine."_

_"Why d'you keep saying suitcase?"_

Spinning around in a circle to try get a better look around the room. "_Yes, where is it? He must have had a phone or organiser. Find out who Rachel is."_

_"He was writing 'Rachel'?" _Glenna asked in stupidty before Charlotte moved in close, speaking sarcastically.

"_No, he was leaving an angry note in German. Of __**course**__ he was writing Rachel; no other word it can be. Question is: why did he wait until he was dying to write it?"_

_"How d'you know he had a suitcase?"_ Once again, Charlotte's abilities were questioned and she started to get annoyed.

"_Back of the right leg: tiny splash marks on the heel and half, not present on the left. He was ragging a wheeled suitcase with him in his right hand. Don't get that splash pattern any other way. Smallish case, going by the spread. Case that size, man this clothes-conscious: only could be an overnight bag, so we know he was staying one night." _Squatting down by the man's body, he examined the back of his legs more closely. "_Now, where is it? What have you done with it?"_

_"There wasn't a case"_

Slowly, Charlotte raises her head and frowns up at Glenna. "_Say that again."_

_"There wasn't a case. There was never any case." _Immediently, Charlotte straightened up and heads for the door, calling out to all the officers in the house and began hurrying down the stairs. "_Suitcase! Did anyone find a suitcase? was there a suitcase in this house?"_

Glenna and Jane follow him out but stop at the landing, Glenna called down the stairs; "_Charlotte there was no case!"_

Slowing down, but continued to make her way down. "_But they take the poison themselves; they chew, swallow the pills themselves. There are clear signs, even you lost couldn't miss them!"_

_"Right, yeah, thanks. And..?"_

_"It's murder, all of them. I don't know how, but they're not suicides, they're killings - __**serial**__ killings!"_ Charlotte concluded, holding her hands in front of her face in pure delight. "_We've got ourselves a serial killer. I __**love**__ those. There's always something to look forward to."_

_"Why are you saying that?"_

Stopping completely, she called back up to them. "_His case! Come on, where is his case! Did he eat it?! Someone else was here, and they took his case! So the killer must have driven him here; forgot the case was in the car."_

Jane quickly interupted; "_He could have checked into a hotel, left his case there."_

_"No, he never got to the hotel. Look at his hair! He colour-coordinates his tie with his shoes. He'd never have left any hotel with his hair still looking .." _ Suddenly, she stopped what she was saying and makes a realisation. "_Oh..OH!"_ Her eyes widen and her face lightens up when she claps her hands in pure delight.

"_Charlotte..?"_

_"What is it, what?"_

Smiling to herself Charlotte called out. "_Serial killers are always hard. You have to wait for them to makea mistake!"_

_"We can't just wait!"_

_"Oh, we're __**done**__ waiting!"_ Quickly starting to jog down the stairs again. "_Look at him, really __**look**__! Houston, we __**have**__ a mistake. Get on to Cardiff: find out who James Wilson's family and friends were. Find Rachel!"_

_"Of course, yeah - but what mistake?!"_ Glenna called out to the detective, who had already vanished from her view.

"_**PINK**__."_ Charlotte said when she managed to run back onto the stairs to be seen before running off again. Glenna, confused turned back to the room while Anderson and the team who was waiting on the next landing down, hurry up the stairs and follow her into the room.

Jane, forgotten by everyone else, started to make her way down the stairs. Bumped into by a few police officers, almost making her fall over before making it back outside. Noticing that Charlotte was gone but Sean was there atleast, talking to she got to the tape, Sean noticed her. "_She's gone."_

_"Who, Charlotte Holmes?"_

_"Yeah, she just took off. She does that."_

_"Is she coming back?"_

_"Didn't look like it."_

_"..Right."_

Unsure of what to do, Jane looked about her surroundings. "_Right . . . Yes."_

Turning back to Sean, she opened her mouth to speak. "_Sorry, where am I?"_

_"Brixton."_

_"Right. Er, d'you know where I could get a cab? It's just, er . . . well . . .My leg." _She awkwardly looked down to her walking stick before meeting Sean's eyes again.

"_Uh. . .try the main road." _He said, pulling up the tape for Jane to pass by.

"_Thanks." _She said, ducking under the tape.

"_But you're not her friend. She doesn't __**have**__ friends. So, who __**are**__ you?"_

_"I'm . . .nobody. I just met her."_

_"Okay, bit of advice then: Stay away from that girl."_

_"Why?"_

"_You know why she's here? She's not paid or anything. She likes it. She gets off on it. The weirder the crime, the more she gets off. And you know what? One day just showing up won't be enough. One day we'll be standing round a body and Charlotte Holmes'll be the one that put it there."_

_"Why would she do that?"_

_"Because she's a psychopath. And psychopaths get bored."_

Glenna interupted the conversation when she called Sean into the house; "_Donovan!"_

_"Coming!"_ He said, starting to make his way into the house but turned back to Jane. "_Stay away from Charlotte Holmes!"_

With that, Jane started to make her way away from the house and onto the main road. To her right, a public telephone box began to ring. Stopping, she looked at it for a few seconds before looking at her watch. By the time the phone stopped ringing, she continued to make her way down the road.

A short time later, she was walking down Brixton High Road, where she was trying to hold a taxi.

"_Taxi! Taxi!"_ To no avail the taxi didn't stop. At the _Chicken Cottage_, the phone began to ring. Jane turns around to face it, but it stopped ringing before the employee picked it up. While she continued going, another phone box phone started to ring. Annoyed, she goes inside and answers the phone.

"_Hello..?"_ She calls out, but was met with a woman's voice.

"_There is a secrity ccamera on the building to your left. Do you see it?"_

Unable to help a frown, Jane answers. "_Who's this? Who's speaking?"_

_"Do you see the camera, Doctor Watson?"_ Jane felt even more annoyed for the fact that the person diverted her question, but looked through the window to see the CCTV camera high on the wall of a nearby building.

"_Yeah, I see it."_

_"Watch."_

The camera was pointed directly at the phone box but quickly moved away. "_There's another camera on the building opposite you. Do you see it?"_

Jane quickly looked over to the camera that was pointed directly at her. "_Mmm-hmm.."_

_"And finally, at the top of the building on your right."_ Jane stared up to the third camera, which was watching her but it turned away just as she looked.

"_How are you doing this..?"_ She asked into the phone, but never got her answer.

"_Get into the car, Doctor Watson." _A black car pulled up to the kerbside near the phone while a female driver got out to open the rear door. "_I __**would**__ make some sort of threat, but I'm sure your situation is quite clear to you."_

The line goes dead and Jane puts it down and looks thoughtful for a few minutes before getting out of the phone box and got into the car.

**~x~**

In the car with him, is a man who was apparently clung to her BlackBerry.

"_Hello.."_ Jane awkwardly started the conversation.

"_Hi." _The man smiled brightly at her for a moment before turning to his phone.

"_What's your name, then?"_

_"Ah...Andrew."_

_"Is that your real name?"_

The man smiled, "_No."_

_"I'm Jane.."_

_"Yes, I know."_

_"Any point in asking where I'm going?"_ The man who was said their name was Andrew smiled briefly and looked at him before going back to her phone;

"_Not at all. . . .Jane."_

_"..Okay." _And that was the end of their conversation

**~x~**

Some time later, the car pulled into an almost empty warehouse. A woman in a nice business suit was standing in the center of the area, leaning carelessly on an umbrella as she watched the car stop and Jane got out.

"_Have a seat, Jane."_ The woman pointed at the seat while Jane limped over to the girl.

"_You know, I've got a phone. I mean, very clever and all that, but uh ...you could have just phoned me. On my phone."_

Stopping her steps a few places in front of the taller woman.

"_When one is avoiding the attention of Charlotte Holmes, one learns to be discreet, hence this place." _Her voice was gentle but her smile was pleasent. "_The leg must be hurting you. Sit down."_

_"I don't wanna sit down."_ Staring at the ex-military woman carefully and curiously.

"_You don't seem very afraid."_

_"You don't seem very frightening."_ Jane retorted as the woman let out a small laugh.

"_Ah, yes. The bravery of the soldier. Bravery is by far the kindest word for stupidity, don't you think?"_ She finished, staring at Jane sternly. "_What is your connection to Charlotte Holmes?"_

_"I don't have one. I barely know her. I met her ..yesterday."_ She hesitated in speaking, not realising how little time passed from that little break.

"_Mmm and since yesterday you've moved in with her and now you're solving crimes together. Might we expect a happy announcement by the end of the week?" _She mocked, a solitary grin on her face.

"_Who__** are**__ you?"_

"_An interested party."_

_"Interested in Charlotte? Why? I'm guessing you're not friends."_

_"You've met her. How many 'friends' do you imagine she has? I'm the closest thign to a friend that Charlotte Holmes is capable of having."_

_"And what's that?"_

_"An enemy."_

_"An enemy?"_

_"In __**her**__ mind, certainly. If you were to ask her, she'd probably say her __**arch-enemy**__. She does love to be dramatic.."_

Jane looked around the warehouse before falling eyes on the woman again. "_Well, thank God __**you're**__ above all that."_ She felt the frown of the other woman on her. Just at that point, her phone started to trills of text alerts. Digging into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and looked at the message that she had earned. Ignoring the woman in front of her while she read it.

**Baker Street.**

**Come at once if conenient.**

**CH**

"_I hope I'm not distracting you."_

_"Not distracting me at all." _She said, taking her time looking up from the phone before she pockets it back into her jacket.

"_Do you plan to continue your association with Charlotte Holmes?"_

_"I could be wrong ... but I think that's none of your business."_

_"It could be."_

_"It __**really**__ couldn't."_

The woman stated, her voice ominious and dark before she took out a notebook and a pen from her pocket, consulting it as she spoke. "_If you __**do**__ plan to move into, um ..two hundred and twenty-one __**B**__ Baker Street, I'd be happy to pay you a meaningful sum of money on a regular basis to ease your way."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because you're not a weathly man."_

_"In exchange for what?"_ Jane asked in concern, not sure whether or not to believe her or not.

_"Information. Nothing indescreet. Nothing you'd feel . . .__**uncomfortable**__ with. Just tell me what she's up to."_

_"Why?"_

_"I worry about her. Constantly."_

_"That's nice of you." _

_"but I would prefer a various reasons that my concern go unmentioned. We have what you call a . . difficult relationship." _Just as she had finished her sentence, Jane heard her phone go ablaze with notifications of a text message being returned to her. Sighing, she pulled out her phone once again and unlocked it, reading the message:

**If inconvenient, come anyway.**

**CH**

_"No."_

_"But I haven't mentioned a figure."_

_"Don't bother."_ She said, pocketing her phone again.

"_You're very loyal, __**very**__ quickly." _Letting out a small brief laugh as she spoke.

"_No, I'm not. I'm just not interested."_

The other woman stared at her carefully, taking out her notebook and opens it once again. " '_Trust issues', it says here." _

"_What's that?"_ Jane asked, feeling unnerved.

The stranger continued to look down at her little book. "_Could it be you've decided to trust Charlotte Holmes of all people?"_

_"Who says I trust her?"_

_"You don't seem the kind of make friends easily."_

_"Are we done?"_ Jane asked in rudeness, the woman tore her eyes from the book and looked at Jane in the eyes.

"_You tell me."_ Jane, having enough, turned around and started to make her way back to the car.

"_I imagine people have already warned you to stay away from her, but I can see from your left hand that's not going to happen."_ Jane stopped walking, her shoulders tense and suddenly trip and angrily shook her head before turning back around to face the other woman, furious.

"_My what?"_

_"Show me." _As ordered, Jane showed the other her left hand. The stranger stepped closer, umbrella in hand as she reached for Jane's hand, but she pulled it away.

"_Don't."_ The stranger rose her eye brows at the other and takes the younger woman's hands carefully in her hands, examining it.

"_Remarkable." _She said, letting Jane snatch her hand away again.

"_What is?"_

"_Most people blunder round this city, and all they see are streets and shops and cars. When you walk with Charlotte Holmes, you see the battle field. You've seen it already, haven't you?"_

"_What's wrong with my hand?"_

"_You have an intermittent temor in your left hand. _Your therapist thinks it's post-traumatic stress disorder. She thinks you're haunted by memories of your military service."Jane nodded her head unintentionally, but rage filled her blood again as she stared atthe older woman.

"_Who the hell __**are**__ you? How do you know that?"_

_"Fire her. She's got it the wrong way round. You're under stress right now and your hand is perfectly steady."_ Jane's eyes flicker down to her hand, which was stilled, just as she said. "_You're not haunted by the war, Doctor Watson . . .You miss it." _After a few moments of silence, she steps closer as Jane's grey eyes raise up to meethers. "_Welcome back." _She muttered, her breath rancid with tease lingered on her face.

Feeling their time was doen, she turned away and started to walk away, twirling her umbrella around in her hand. "_Time to choose a side, Doctor Watson."_

Standing there dumbstruck, Jane didn't move an inch while 'Andrew' walked over to her, his attention still attached to his Black Berry. "_I'm to take you home."_ Jane turned towards him, but stops when his phone starts to have another fit of notifications;

**Could be dangerous.**

**CH**

Putting the phone back into her pocket, she sighed , staring at her left hand and studies the lack of temor coming from her hand. Smiling faintly.

"_Address?"_

_"Baker Street. Two two one B Baker Street. But I need to stop somewhere first." _She answered 'Andrew' before getting in the car. Opening the door to her bedsit and switches the light on, walking in as she goes to his desk, opening the drawer and takes out her. Putting it into her trousers before leaving again.

Later on, the car pulls up in fromt of 221B Baker Street. 'Andrew' was still taken by whatever it was on her phone and Jane looked over to her.

"_Listen, your boss - any chance you could not tell him this is where I went?"_

_"Sure."_ He answered, hardly paying attention.

"_You've told him already, haven't you?"_

Andrew looked over at her, smiling briefly. "_Yeah."_ Jane nodded in recognition, turning to get out of the car but stops just as she opened the door, turning back to her. "_Hey, um..do you ever get any free time?"_

Scoffing, he sarcastically replied, "_Oh, yeah. Lots"_ While Jane waited, obviously not realising that the girl was just clearly uninterested in her before Andrew's gaze turned back to the doctor, raising his eyesbrows.

"_Bye."_

"_Okay.."_ Getting out of the car, she closed the door behind her and watched as it drove away. Walking across the pavement to the front door of his flat, she knocked on the door.


	4. A Study in Pink part 4

Euphoric feelings crossed the detective as she laid comfortably against the sofa. Eyes closed briefly before opening once again, her hand held against each other against her chest as if she were praying as she stared up at the ceiling. Exhailing deeply, she pulled her hands apart just as Jane came into the room, flexing them into fists and undoing them purely on whim.

"_What are you doing?"_ Jane finally asked, watching her flatmate in confusion.

"_Nicotine patch. Helps me think.."_ Charlotte said calmly, lifting her right arm to show at least three patches stuck to her skin. Occasionally pressing on the patches to release the substance faster. "_Impossible to sustain a smoking habit in London these days..Bad news for brain work." _Her tongue clicked and over emphasized the 'K' sounds again.

"_It's good news for breathing."_

_"Oh, breathing. Breathing's boring." _Charlotte complained while Jane took the liberty of looking more closely at the detective's arm.

"_Is that three patches?!"_

_"It's a three patch problem." _Pressing her hands back together in a prayer like position and closed her eyes again. Jane looked around the room in anxiousness before her grey eyes fell back on the detective.

"_Well?" _Of course, Charlotte didn't respond or move an inch while she spoke out. _"You asked me to come. I'm assuming it's important."_

Instantly, Charlotte didn't answer still before she opened her eyes a few seconds later but never turned her head to look at Jane. "_Oh, yeah, of course. Can I borrow your phone?"_

Jane stared at Charlotte like an idiot, glaring for a moment. "_My phone?"_

_"Don't wanna use mine. Always a chance that the number will be recognized. It's on the website."_

_"Mr. Hudson's got a phone!"_

_"Yeah, he's downstairs. I tried shouting but he didn't hear."_

Starting to get irritated, Jane glared at the inconsiderate detective. "_I __**was**__ on the other side of London."_

_"There was no hurry."_ Charlotte answered nonchalantly. Not really caring for the anger Jane was emitting as she pulled out her phone from her pocket.

"_Here."_ Charlotte held her hand out, her eyes still closed while her palm up to the ceiling. Jane slapped the phone in her hand after a few seconds and turned around. Putting her hands back together with the phone in between her palms.

"_So what's this about - the case?"_

_"His case."_

_"__**His**__ case?"_

Finally opening her eyes again, she started to speak. "_His suitcase, yes, obviously. The murderer took his suitcase. First big mistake."_

_"Okay, he took her case. So?"_

_"It's no use, there's no other way. We'll have to risk it."_ Charlotte mutteredto herself quietly and raised the phone back to Jane, still not making eye contact. "_On my desk, there's a number. I want you to send a text."_

Jane, now in complete disbelief, smiled hafly in anger. "_You brought me here . . .to send a text."_

Charlotte was oblivious to her flatmates anger as she started to talk. "_Text, yes. The number on my desk." _Continuing to hold the phone out while Jane was probably thinking if she could get away with homicideas she went over to the couch, snatching the phone from Charlotte's hand. Opening her eyes once more, she finally tilted her head over to Jane's direction.

"_What's wrong?"_

_"Just met a friend of yours."_ Charlotte frowned in mild confusion.

_"A friend?"_

_"An enemy."_

_"Oh, which one?"_ Relaxing once that was settled, keeping her hands together.

"_Your __**arch**__-enemy, according to her. Do people __**have**__ arch-enemies?_" Jane could feel Charlotte's eyes on her form, growing suspicious.

"_Did she offer you money to spy on me?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Did you take it?"_

_"No."_

_"Pity. We could have split the fee. Think it through next time."_

_"Who is she?"_

Charlotte sighed softly. "_The most dangerous woman you've ever met, and not my problem right now. On my desk, the number."_ Jane was growing rather annoyed by Charlotte's attitude and went to her desk, picking up the number and read the name on the paper.

"_james Wilson. That was . . .Hang on. Wasn't that the dead man?"_

_"Yes. That's not important. Just enter the number." _On command, Jane began to enter the number into the phone.

_"Are you doing it?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Have you done it?"_

_"Ye..Hang on!"_

_"These words exactly: "What happened at Lauriston Gardens? I must have blacked out. Twenty-two Northumberland Street. Please come."_

However, Charlotte was speaking too quickly for Jane's fingers to be able to type down the message;

**What happened at Lauriston Gdns? I must have b**

"_You blacked out?" _She asked, turning to look at Charlotte, frowning.

"_What? No. NO!"_ She got up from her position, standing up and walked over the coffee table. "_Type it and sent it. Quickly." _She said, going to the kitchen and getting the small pink suitcase from the kitchen table and sets it down on one of the armchairs near the fireplace. "_Have you sent it?"_

_"What's the address?"_

By now, Charlotte was growing impatient. "_Twenty-two Northumberland Street. Hurry up!"_

Just as Jane finished the message, she looked around as Charlotte began to unzip the case and flips the lid open to reveal the contents. Jane stared in shock as she sat down in the other chair across from the bag and Charlotte.

"_That's . . .that's the pink man's case. That's James' Wilson's case."_

_"Yes, obviously."_ Realising that Jane continued to stare, Charlotte rolled her eyes. "_Oh, perhaps I should __**mention**_**: **_**I**_ didn't kill him."

"Never said you did."

"_Why not? Given the text I just had you send and the fact I have his case, it's a perfectly logical assumption."_

_"Do people assume you're the murderer?"_

Charlotte couldn't help a small smirk to cross her lips. "_Now and then, yes."_ Using the arms of the chair, she boosted herself up to lift her feet under her so she was perched on the seat with her backside braced against the back rest and holds her hands under her chin.

"_Okay.. How did you get this?"_

_"By looking."_

_"Where?"_

_"The killer must have driven her to Lauriston Gardens. She could only keep his case by accident if it was in the car. Nobody could be seen with this case without drawing attention - particularly a woman, which is statisitcally more likely - so obviously she'd feel compelled to get rid of it the moment she noticed she still had it. Wouldn't have taken her more than five minutes to realise her mistake. I checked every back street wide enough for a car five minutes from Lauriston Gardens . . .and everywhere you could dispose a bulky object without being observed. Took me less than an hour to find the right skip."_

_"Pink. You got __**all**__ that because you realised the case would be pink?"_

_"Well, it __**had**__ to be pink, obviously."_

_"..Why didn't __**I**__ think of that?"_

_"Because you're an idiot."_ Jane looked over to Charlotte, shocked but Charlotte just brushed it off.

"_No, no, no, don't look like that. Practically everyone is." _She unfolds her hands, extending her index finger to point at the case. "_Now, look. Do you see what's missing?"_

_"From the case? How could I?"_

_"His phone. Where's his mobile phone? There was no phone on the body, there's no phone in the case. We know he had one - that's his number there; you just texted it."_

_"Maybe he left it at home?"_ Adjusting herself with the use of the armrests, Charlotte set her feet back onto the ground and properly sits in the chair.

"_He has a string of loversand he's careful about it. He __**never**__ leaves his phone at home."_

Taking the slip of paper, he put it back into the luggage label on the case and just looked at Jane.

Looking down at her phone, which she had put down on the arm of the chair. "_Why did I just that text?"_

_"Well, the question is: where is his phone __**now**__?"_

_"He could have lost it.."_

_"Yes, or...?"_

_"The murderer. You think the murderer has the phone?"_

_"Maybe she left it when he left his case. Maybe she took it from him for some reason. Either way, the balance of probability is the murderer has his phone." _

_"Sorry, what are we doing? Did I just text a murderer?! What good will __**that**__ do?"_

Just as Jane finished talking the phone began to ring. Picking it up, she looked at the screen for a Caller I.D.

**(Withheld) Calling.**

_"A few hours after her last victim and now she recieves a text that can only be from him. If somebody had just __**found**__ that phone, they'd ignore a text like that, but the murderer..would panic."_

The phone eventually stopped ringing in Jane's hand, while Charlotte flipped the case closed and stood up, going over to the door where her jacket was hung and puts it on. "_Have you talked to the police?"_

_"Four people are dead. There isn't time to talk to the police."_

_"So why are you talking to __**me**__?!"_

_"Mr. Hudson took my skull!" _Charlotte complained while Jane just glared.

"_So, I'm basically filling in for your skull?!"_

_"Relax, you're doing fine!" _From her comment, Jane didn't move, which caught Charlotte's attention.

"_Well?"_

_"Well what?"_

_"Well, you could just sit here and watch telly.." _

_"What, you want me to come with you?"_

_"I like company when I go out, and I think better when i talk aloud. The skull just attracts attention, so .." _Jane was unable to help a brief smile cross her lips before it went away. "_Problem?"_

"_Yeah, Sergeant Donovan.."_ Charlotte groaned in irritation just by the mere mention of the guy but looked away at the last second.

"_What about him?"_

"_He said..You get off on this. You enjoy it."_

Charlotte spoke again, nonchalantly. "_And I said 'dangerous', and here you are."_ With that, she turned on her heels and walked out of the door. Jane sat there for a few minutes before getting up onto her own feet, chasing after the detective.

Catching up with the girl, Charlotte was already making her way down the street. "_Where are we going?"_

_"Northumberland Street's a five minute walk from here."_

_"You think she's stupid enough to go there?"_

Charlotte couldn't help but smile. "_No - I think she's __**brilliant**__ enough. I love the brilliant ones. They're always so desperate to get caught."_

_"Why?"_

_"Appreciation! Applause! At long last the spotlight. That's the frailty of genius, Jane: it needs an audience."_

Jane just stared at the taller woman. "_Yeah.."_

Oblivious, Charlotte spun around to get a better clue of the area as she continued to walk. "_This is her hunting ground, right here in the heart of the cit. Now that we know her victims were abducted, that changes everything. Because all of her victims disappeared from busy streets, crowded places, but nobody saw them go."_ As she finished, she put her hands up at either side of her head, trying to focus on her own thoughts. "_Think! Who do we trust, even though we don't know them? Who passes unnoticed wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of a crowd?"_

_"I dunno. Who?"_ Jane asked, completely cluseless, just like her partner.

"_Haven't the faintest. Hungry?"_ Lowering her head, she lead Jane into a small restaurant, where the waiter near the door who clearly knew Charlotte gestured her to a reserved table in the front window. _"Thank you, Billy."_ She said, taking her coat off and sat down, turning her body sideways so she could get a better view out the window while Billy took the 'reserved' sign off the table and left just as Jane sat down on the bench with her back to the window and took her jacket off.

"_Twenty-two Northumberland Street. Keep your eyes on it."_

_"She isn't just gonna ring the doorbell, though, is she? She'd need to be mad."_

_"She __**has**__ killed for people."_ Charlotte said in retaliation.

"_Okay.."_

Just as the two fell silent again, the owner of the restaurant came over to the table, seemingly pleased to see Charlotte. They shook hands when she was close enough. "_Anything on the menu, whatever you want, free."_ She finished, laying two menues on the table. "_On the house, for you __**and**__ your date."_

_"Do you want to eat?"_ Charlotte asked Jane, who turned to Angela in surprise.

_"I'm not her date."_

_"This woman got me off a murder charge."_

_"This is Angela."_ Introducing them, Angela and Jane shook hands. "_Three years ago, I successfully proved to Lestrade at the time of a particularly vicious triple murder that Angela was in a completely different part of town, house breaking."_

_"She cleared my name."_

_"-I cleared it a __**bit**__. Anything happening opposite?"_

_"Nothing." _She said, turning her attention to Jane again. "_But for this woman, I'd have gone to prison."_

_You __**did**__ go to prison."_

_"I'll get a candle for this table. It's more romantic." _Ignoring the detective's outbreak, Angela quickly left to go get a candle.

"_I'm not her date!"_

Setting her menu on the table, Charlotte continued to look out the window. "_You may as well eat. We might have a long wait."_ Angela came back with a small glass bowl that contained a lit tea-light. Putting the glass on the table, Jane gave a thumbs up before muttering a "thanks" in a harsh way.

While Jane was eating, Charlotte's attention from the window never changed as she started to drum her fingers on the table. After a few more moments of silence, Jane started to speak.

"_People don't __**have**__ arch enemies."_

Charlotte didn't respond immediently, but when she did, she turned to face the other. "_I'm sorry?"_

_"In real life. There __**are**__ no arch-enemies in real life. Doesn't happen."_

Clearly uninterested, Charlotte turned her attention back out the window. "_Doesn't it? Sounds a bit dull."_

_"So who did I meet?"_

_"What do real people have, then, in their 'real lives'?"_

_"Friends; people they know; people they like; people they don't like ..Girlfriends, boyfriends .."_

_"Yes, well, as I was saying - dull." _She said with little interest and monotone.

"_You don't have a boyfriend, then?"_

Charlotte continued to stare out the window, before answering. "_No, not really my area."_

Jane fell silent again, trying to think of the best possible significance. "_Oh, right. D'you have a girlfriend?"_ Automatically, Charlotte gave him a sharp stare at her outburst. "_Which is fine, by the way."_

_"I __**know**__ it's fine." _

Jane tried to smile to show that she didn't mean anything rude by implying anything. "_So, you've got a girlfriend, then?"_

_"No."_

Jane continued to smile, feeling a little awkward by their conversation. "_Right. Okay. You're unattached. Like me."_ She looked down at her plate, rapidly trying to think of something more to say but figures that she was just running out. "_Fine."_ She coughed awkwardly. "_Good."_ Ending the conversation as she continued to eat. Charlotte continued to stare at her suspiciously. As she turned her attention back to the window, she was rather concerned by what Jane was trying to say and turned her head back to her since it was obviously getting to the detective.

"_Jane..uh..I think you should know that I consider myself married to my work, and while I'm flattered by your interest, I'm not really looking for any -"_

_"No." _Jane interrupted, turning her head to briefly clear her thoat. "_No, I'm not asking, no."_ Turning her attention back to Charlotte, trying to show that she was being serious.

"_Good._ She settled, looking back out the window and onto the street. "_Thank you."_

Jane was dumbstruck with what Charlotte had just finished with, but never brought anything up again. Just then, Charlotte nods out the window. "_Look across the street. Taxi."_

Jane twisted around so she could stare, realising that there was a taxi parked at the side of the road turned away from the restaurant. "_Stopped. Nobody getting in, and nobody getting out."_ It was apparent that there was a female passanger, looking through the side window to see anyone. "_Why a taxi? Oh, that's clever. __**Is**__ it clever? __**Why**__ is it clever?"_

_"That's her."_

_"Don't stare."_

"_**You're**__ staring!"_ Jane said to her, turning around to face her.

"_We can't __**both**__ stare!" _She said, getting to her feet as she got her coat and scarf, heading out the door with Jane shortly following after her but forgot her walking cane. When they got outside, the passanger in the backseat continued to stare out the rear view window. Charlotte had no time to really think as she jumped into the road, unaware of the car quickly coming her way, almost getting run over by it before the car stomps on the breaks. Quickly climbing over the hood of the bonnet and lands on her feet on the other side. Apparently, the driver of the car was upset and honked the horn of the car as Jane goes around the car, "_Sorry!"_ she said as the car sped off.

"_I've got the cab number!"_ Jane said, chasing after Charlotte who was a few yards ahead of her before she realises that she wasn't going to catch up.

"_Good for you.."_ Charlotte snapped back, holding her hands on either side of her head, trying to concentrate. Holding a mental map of the local area, overlaying images of streets along with the route the taxi would take. "_Right turn, one way, roadworks, traffic lights, bus lane, pedestrian crossing, left turn only, traffic lights!" _She said so quickly, Jane could hardly keep up with her before she started to run to a nearby building being locked up, shoving the woman aside and charged into the building.

"_Oy!"_ Jane hurries after Charlotte, but took a few seconds to say a quick apology to the woman. The pair races up the stairs to a metal spiral fire escape staircase that lead to the roof. Charlotte was taking three or more steps at a time while Jane struggled to follow behind her.

"_Come on, Jane!"_ Charlotte calls out to her partner at the top of the stairs while she continued to take the stairs, going up yet another set of stairs that led to another floor. Not even considering the danger before she leaps acros the gap of the two buildings. Jane, on the other hand, stopped and took a few seconds to notice the drop.

"_Come __**on**__ Jane. We're losing her!"_ Just as the pedestrian light turned green, Jane leaped onto the other side of the building while the taxi continued its journey. Charlotte leads Jane into an allyway, in her head, the map shows their location in comparison to the taxi. It was clear that their paths were starting to come a little closer as they continued to run out of the allyway into D'Arblay Street, where the taxi was just turning into. Turning the corner, the pair races down the last part of the ally only to see the taxi drive past and turned left.

"_Ah, no!"_ Charlotte said angrilly as she races out of the alley and turned right. "_This way!"_ She called out to Jane who instinctively follows after in persuit. "_No, this way!"_

"_Sorry!"_ She turns her the opposite direction and continued to follow Charlotte. The two women run down the street, taking a shorter route than the taxi which was being diverted by various road signs taking the long way around. They both head down the alleyways and side streets towards the interception point in Wardour Street.

As predicted by her mental map, Charlotte races out of the side street and hurls herself into the path of the approaching taxi. The cabbie goes into a screetching halt as Charlotte fishes an I.D out of her pocket and flashes it to the driver and goes to the right hand of the cab. "_Police! Open her up!"_ Panting heavily, she tugs the door open and stares at the passenger, who looked at her anxiously. "_No.."_ She instantly stood back up straight, turning to Jane. "_Teeth, tan: what - Californian?"_ She turned to the floor, noticing her luggage. "_L.A., Santa Monica. Just arrived.."_ Charlotte declared, feeling so upset with herself.

"_How can you __**possibly**__ tell?"_

_"The luggage."_ She said, looking down at the floor of the cab to the luggage which held a name tag. LAX to LHR. "_It's probably your first trip to London, right, going by your final destination and the route the cabbie was taking you?"_

_"Sorry - are you guys the police?"_

_"Yeah!"_ She quickly flashes the I.D badge to the woman. "_Is everything all right?"_ She said, falsely smiling at the woman in front of her.

_"Yeah." _Tourist shyly smiled and that seemed to end the conversation.

"_Welcome to London."_ She immediatly turned away, leaving Jane staring blankly for a moment before she steps closer to the taxi door and looked at the passanger.

"_Uh, any problems, just let us know."_ The woman smiled before Jane closed the taxi door shut. The woman looked over to the taxi driver as Jane walked over to Charlotte, a few yards behind the taxi.

"_Basically just a cab that happened to slow down."_

_"Basically."_

_"Not the murderer.."_

_"__**Not**__ the murderer, no."_ Charlotte answered, exasperated.

_"Wrong country, good alibi."_

"_As they go."_

Jane looked at Charlotte as she switched the I.D card from one hand to another. "_Hey, where - where did you get this? Here."_ She reached for the card and Charlotte let her take it. "_Right."_ She inspected the card and noticed the name. "_Detective Inspector Lestrade?"_

"_Yeah, I pickpocket her when she's annoying. You can keep that one, I've got plenty at the flat." _Jane nodded and looked at the card again, starting to giggle slightly.

"_What?" _Charlotte stared at her, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"_Nothing, just: 'Welcome to London'." _Charlotte chuckled for a minute and looked down the road where the passanger they were just speaking to was consulting an officer and she was pointing at the two women.

"_Got your breath back?"_

_"Ready when you are."_ She concluded and the two women took off running down the street before they could be questioned by the obviously upset police officer.


	5. A Study In Pink part 5

The two managed to get back to the flat, walking inside of the building they leaned against the wall right next to the flight of stairs; breathing heavily.

"_Okay..that was ridiculous."_ Jane spoke out with a wheeze, leaning back against the wall. "_That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever done.."_

_"And you invaded Afghanistan."_

Jane let out in a fit of giggles and Charlotte slowly follows after. "_That wasn't just me. Why aren't we back at the restaurant?"_

_"Oh, they can keep an eye out. It was a long shot anyway."_ Charlotte became more serious, waving her hand in dismissal.

"_So what were we doing there?"_ Jane asked as Charlotte cleared her thought, looking over at Jane.

"_Oh, just passing the time. And proving a point."_

_"What point?"_

_"You."_ Charlotte smirked and turned, calling out. "_Mr. Hudson! Doctor Watson __**will**__ take the room upstairs!"_

_"Says who?"_

"_Says the woman at the door."_ Jane turned her head to the door just as someone started to knock. Walking over to the door as she opens it, Charlotte resting her head against the wall and lets out a heavy breath of air while Angela stands outside.

"_Charlotte texted me."_ She smiled, holding Jane's walking cane to her. "_She said you forgot this."_

Jane stared at the cane in surprise before she took it back into her own hand. "_Ah, thank you. Thank you." _She said, looking back at Charlotte before closing the door.

Mr. Hudson appeared out of his own flat, looking upset and tearful as he spoke. "_Charlotte, what have you done?"_

_"Mr. Hudson?"_

_"Upstairs."_ Charlotte grew curious as she and Jane went upstairs to their flat, only to find D.I Lestrade and the other officers going though Charlotte's posessions. Upset, she storms over to Glenna.

"_What are you doing?!"_

_"Well, I knew you'd find the case. I'm not stupid."_

_"You can't just break into my flat!"_

_"-And you can't withhold evidence. And I didn't __**break **__into your flat."_

_"Well, what do you call this then?!"_

_"It's a drugs bust."_ Glenna answered innocently, looking around to her officers.

"_Seriously?! This girl, a junki?! Have you met her?!"_ Charlotte turned over and walked over to Jane, biting her lip nervously.

"_Jane.."_

_"I'm pretty sure if you could search this flat all day, you wouldn't find anything you could call recreational.-"_

_"Jane, you probably want to shut up __**now**__"_

_"Yeah, but come on!"_ The look on Charlotte's face didn't look all that impressed as Jane just stared with confusion before realising that Charlotte was being serious right now.

"_No."_

_"What?  
_

_"__**You.**__"_

_"Shut up!"_ Charlotte said angrily before she turned back to Glenna. "_I'm not your sniffer dog!"_

_"No, __**Anderson's**__ my sniffer dog."_ Glenna nodded towards the kitchen.

"_What, An.."_ She realised that the doors to the kitchen slid open and the other officers were searching through the room, Andersen turned towards the living room and raises her hand in a sarcastic gesture. "_Andserson, what are __**you**__ doing here on a drugs bust?!"_

_"Oh, I volunteered." _Anderson replied with venom in her voice. Charlotte turned away, biting down on her lower lip with rage boiling in her blood.

"_They __**all**__ did. They're not strictly speaking __**on**__ the drugs squad, but they're very keen."_ After a second, Sean came into the room with a jar filled with little round objects in his hand.

"_Are these __**human**__ eyes?"_

_"Put those back!"_ Charlotte shouted, waving her hand in the direction of the kitchen.

_"They were in the microwave!"_

_"It's an experiment!"_

_"Keep looking, guys!"_ Glenna interupted, as she tood up, turning to Charlotte. "_Or you could help us properly and I'll stand them down."_

Charlotte paced back and forth angrily through the flat. "_This is childish!"_

_"Well, I'm __**dealing**__ with a child. Charlotte, this is __**our**__ case. I'm letting you in but you do __**not**__ go off on your own. Clear?"_

Stops in her tracks as she glares at the other woman. "_Oh what, so-so-so you set up a pretend drugs bust to bully me?!"_

_"It stops being pretend if they find anything."_

Charlotte scoffed and practically screamed. "_I am clean!"_

_"And your flat? All of it?"_

_"I don't even smoke!"_ She said, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a nicotine patch on her lower arm.

"_Neither do I."_ She too, pulled up her sleeve to reveal a nicotine patch. Charlotte rolled her eyes and turned away, pulling her sleeve down again. "_So let's work together. We've found Rachel."_

_"Who is she?"_ The brunette asked, turning to Glenna.

"_James Wilson's only daughter."_

_"His daughter? Why would he write his daughter's name? Why?"_ Charlotte muttered, frowning.

"_Never mind __**that**__. We found the case." _Anderson interrupted, pointing to the small pink case. "_According to __**someone**__, the murderer has the case, and we found it in the hands of our favourite psychopath."_

_"I am not a psychopath, Anderson. I am a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research."_ Charlotte said to Anderson, looking at her disparagingly before turning back to Glenna. "_You need to bring Rachel in. You need to question her. __**I**__ need to question her-"_

_"She's dead."_

_"Excellent! How, when and why? Is there a connection? There __**has**__ to be!"_

_"Well, I doubt it, since she's been dead for fourteen years. Technically, she was never alive. Rachel was James Willson's stillborn daughter, fourteen years ago."_ At Glenna's words, Jane grimaced sadly and turned away, while Charlotte was rather confused.

"_No, that's ...that's not right. How ...Why would she do that? __**Why**__?"_

_"Why would she think of his daughter in his last moments?! Yep - sociopath; I'm seeing it now."_

_"He didn't __**think**__ about his daughter. He scratched her name on the floor with his fingernails. He was dying. It took effort. It would have hurt."_ She began, starting to pack back and forth across the room.

"_You said that the victims all took the poison themselves, that she __**makes**__ them take it. Well, maybe she ..I don't know, talks to them? Maybe she used the death of his daughter somehow."_ Jane interviened.

"_Yeah, but that was __**ages**__ ago. Why would he still be upset?"_ Jane stared at him while Charlotte hesitates as she realises that everyone in the flat has stopp whatever they were doing and fell silent. Glancing around the room before glancing awkwardly at Jane. "_Not good?"_

_"__**Bit**__ not good, yeah."_ Jane agrees while Charlotte walked closer to her, staring intensly.

"_Yeah, but if you were dying ..if you'd been murdered: in your very last few seconds what would you say?"_

_" 'Please, God, let me live.' " _

_"Oh, use your imagination!"_ Charlotte said, annoyed.

"_I don't have too."_ Charlotte noticed the pain in Jane's face before shifting her feet apologetically.

"_Yeah, but if you were clever, __**really**__ clever ..James Wilson running all those lovers: he __**was**__ clever." _She said, beginning to pace again. "_He's trying to __**tell**__ us something."_

At that moment, Mr. Hudson appeared at the door of the living room. "_Isn't the doorbell working? Your taxi's here, Charlotte."_

_"I didn't order a taxi. Go away."_ She continued to pace while Mr. Hudson looked around the room.

_"Oh dear. They're making such a mess. What are they looking for?"_

_"It's a drugs bust, Mr. Hudson."_

_"But they're just for my hip. They're herbal soothers."_ With her back to the door, Charlotte stops and finally snaps

"_**SHUT UP EVERYBODY, SHUT UP!**__Don't move, don't speak, don't __**BREATHE.**__ I'm trying to think. Anderson face the other way. You're putting me off!"_

_"What?! My __**face**__ is?!"_

_"Everybody quiet and still. Anderson, turn your back."_

_"Oh for God's sake!"_

_"Your __**back**__, now, please!"_

_"Come on, think. Quick!" _ Charlotte muttered to herself as she tried to think but Mr. Hudson bothered her at the wrong time.

"_What about your taxi?" _

"_MR. HUDSON!"_ Charlotte scowled and shouted in rage. In return, he turned and hurried downstairs. Charlotte stopped and looked around, finally realising something. "_Oh.." _She smiled in delight. "_Ah! He was clever, clever, yes!"_ She walked across the room and turned back to the others. "_He's cleverer than you lot and he's dead. Do you see, do you get it? He didn't __**lose**__ his phone, he never lost it. He __**planted**__ it on her!" _She said, beginning to pace again. "_When he got out of the car, he knew that he was going to his death. He let the phone in order to lead us to his killer!"_

_"But how?" _Lestrade interrupted, confused.

_"Wha..? What do you mean __**how**__?!" _Charlotte stared at him when she stopped pacing. Lestrade simply shrugged. "_Rachel!"_ She stared at everyone in pure delight, but they looked back at her blankly. "_Don't you see? __**Rachel**__!" _They still all look blank, but Charlotte laughed in disbelief. "_Oh, look at you lot. You're all so vacant. Is it nice not being me? It must be __**so**__ relaxing. Rachel is __**not**__ a name!"_ She concluded sternly.

"_Then what is it?"_ Jane asked

"_Jane, on the luggage, there's a label. E-mail address."_

As asked, she looked at the suitcase and read the address. "_Uh..jimmie dot pink at mephone dot org dot uk."_ Charlotte sat down at the dining room table and looked at her computer notebook.

"_Oh, I've been too lose. He didn't have a laptop, which means he did his business on his phone, so it's a smartphone, it's e-mail enabled." _She turns up the mephone website and types the email address into the 'user name' box. "_So, there was a website for his account. The username is his e-mail address .."_ She stated and began to type the 'password' box. "_And all together now, the password is?"_

Jane walked over to her, now standing behind her. "_Rachel."_

_"So now we can read his e-mails. So what?"_

_"Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the I.Q of the whole street. We can do much more than just read his emails. It's a smartphone, it's got GPS, which means if you lose it you can locate it online. He's leading us directly to the woman who killed him."_

_"Unless she got rid of it."_ Glenna said out loud, but Charlotte shook her head.

"_We know she didn't."_ Watching the screen impatiently. "_Come on, come on. Quickly!"_ Mr. Hudson trots back up the stairs and comes into the room.

"_Charlotte, dear, this taxi driver .."_ Charlotte got to her feet and walks over to him.

"_Mr. Hudson isn't it time for your evening soother?"_ Jane sat down in the chair that Charlotte abandoned and watched as the clock spinning round on the website while it claims the location of the phone in under three minutes. Charlotte turned to Glenna.

"_We need to get behicles, get a helicopter. We're gonna have to move fast. This phone batter won't last forever."_

Mr. Hudson looked around anxiously while a woman slowly started to walk up the stairs behind him.

"_We'll just have a map reference, not a name."_

_"It's a start!"_

While on the computer, the map appeared and was now zooming in on the location. "_Charlotte.."_

_"It narrows it down from just anyone in London. It's the first proper lead that you've had!"_

_"-Charlotte."_

_"What is it? Quickly, where?"_ By now, the map was now showing the precise location of the phone.

"_It's here. It's in two two one Baker Street.."_

Charlotte, confused straightened up. "_How can it be here? __**How**__?"_

_"Well, maybe it was in the case when you brought it back and it fell out somewhere."_ Glenna suggested.

"_What, and I didn't notice it? __**Me**__? I didn't notice?"_ Charlotte said, dumbstruck.

"_Anyway, we texted her and she called back."_

Glenna turned to speak to her officers_; "Guys, we're also looking for a mobile somewhere here, belonged to the victim.."_

Charlotte just tuned eher out while she began to remember the question she had asked Jane earlier that evening. _'Who do we trust, even if we don't know them?'_

While behind Mr. Hudson, the woman reaches the top of the stairs. Wearing a badge in the leather holder on a cord around her neck. The badge of a licenced London cab driver.

'_Who passes unnoticed wherever they go?'_

_'Who hunts in the middle of a crowd?'_ Charlotte stood there lost in thought in the middle of the flat while everyone was rushing about. Turning her head, she pieced everything together. On the landing, the taxi driver takes out a pink smartphone from her pocket and presses the screen to send a text.

A few seconds later, Charlotte's phone begins to alert her of a message. Unlocking the screen, it only read one thing:

**COME WITH ME**

Before she turns around and heads towards the door. Still lost in thought, Jane called out to her. _"Charlotte, you alright?"_

_"What? Yeah, yeah, I-I'm fine."_

_"So how can the phone be here?_

Still watching the taxi driver, Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. "_Dunno."_

Jane got up and reached for her own phone, "_I'll try again."_

Charlotte started to head for the door. "_Good idea.."_

"_Where are __**you**__ going?"_

_"Fresh air. Just popping outside for a moment. Won't be long."_ She called back while Jane frowned as Charlotte left the room and called out to her.

"_You sure you're all right?"_

_"I'm fine."_ She called back, hurrying down the stairs.

**~x~**

Outside, Charlotte shrugs on her coat when she notices a taxi parked at the kerb of the street. The driver, Jessica Hope was leaning casually against the side of the cab.

"_Taxi for Charlotte 'olmes."_

_"I didn't order a taxi."_ Charlotte said, stepping closer and closed the door behind her.

"_Doesn't mean you don't need one."_

_"You're the cabbie. The one who stopped outside Northumberland Street. It was __**you**__, not your passanger."_

_"See? No-one ever thinks about a cabbie. It's like you're invisible. Just the back of an 'ead. Proper advantages for a serial killer." _Charlotte took a few more steps forward and looked up to the window of her flat.

"_Is this a confession?"_

_"Oh yeah. An' I'll tell you what else: if you call the coppers now, I won't run. I'll sit quietly and they can take me down, I promise."_

_"Why?"_

_"'Cause you're not gonna do that."_

_"Am I not?"_

_"I didn't kill those four people, Ms. 'olmes. I spoke to 'em. ..and they killed themselves. An' if you get the coppers now, I promise you one thing." _She leaned forward as if to whisper a secret to the dectective. "_I will never tell you what I did."_

Charlotte watched her as Jessica straightened up and began to walk to the front of the cab. "_No-one else will die, though, and I can believe they call that a result."_

_"An; you won't ever understand how those people died. What kind of a result do you care about?"_ She turned and continued around to driver's door before getting in and closed the door behind her. Ignoring Charlotte, she bit her lower lip as Charlotte got close to the car.

"_If I __**wanted**__ to understand, what would I do?"_

_"Let me take you for a ride."_

_"So you can kill me too?"_

_"I don't wanna kill you, Ms. 'olmes. I'm gonna talk to yer..and then you're gonna kill yourself."_ She finished as she faced the front, Charlotte straightened up while she considered the situation. Even still, she got into the cab and Jessica started the engine.

Upstairs, Jane had her phone held to her ear as she watched out the window, the cab was heard being pulled away. "_She just got in the cab..It's Charlotte. She just drove off in a cab."_

Donovan rolls her eyes in irritation. "_I told you, she does that. He bloody left again."_ He said, turning to Glenna. "_We're wasting our time."_

_"I'm calling the phone, it's ringing out."_

While in the cab, the phone was ringing. Charlotte watched as it was ringing and Jessica had put it in the well besides her eat while it continued to ring.

Back in the flat, Glenna watched as Jane continued to hold the phone to her ear.

"_If it's ringing, it's not here."_

_"I'll try the search again."_ Jane put the phone down and reached for the notebook again.

_"Does it matter? Does __**any**__ of it? You know she's just a lunatic, and she'll __**always**__ let you down, and you're wasting our time. __**All**__ our time."_ Sean argued while Glenna stared at her for a moment before sighing.

"_Okay, everybody. Done 'ere."_

**~x~**

Inside of the cab, Charlotte watched as the London scenery passed her by on the glass window. "_How did you find me?"_

_"Oh, I recognized yer, as soon as I saw you chasing my cab. Charlotte 'olmes! I was warned about you. I've been on your website, too. Brilliant stuff! Loved it!"_

_"Who warned you about me?"_

_"Just someone out there who's noticed you."_

_"Who?"_ She asked, leaning forward to closely look at the side of Jessica's neck, noticing a photograph of a young girl and boy attached to the dashboard by a pin.

Noticing her gaze, Jessica opened her mouth to speak. "_You're too modest, Ms. 'olmes."_

_"I'm really not."_

_"You've got yourself a fan."_

Sitting back against her seat, she spoke nonchalantly. "_Tell me more."_

_"That's all you're gonna know..in __**this**__ lifetime." _


End file.
